Mumbai lease plot holders get last chance to renew agreements

There are 1,300 leasehold properties in the Island City — the lease of 691 of them have expired. The suburbs have 375 leasehold plots — the lease of 150 have expired.Sujit Mahamulkar | TNN | Updated: October 07, 2016, 15:15 IST

MUMBAI: The state government has decided to initiate steps to acquire leasehold plots if the lessees failed to apply for renewal by November 1. The government suspects that many such plots have been sold out without intimating the authority or by forging documents.

There are 1,300 leasehold properties in the Island City — the lease of 691 of them have expired. The suburbs have 375 leasehold plots — the lease of 150 have expired.

The Mumbai (Island City) collector issued notices to holders of properties whose lease had expired. As they did not respond, the collector issued a public appeal on October 2 asking them to renew the leases.

There are many properties whose lease expired over 50 years ago and are yet to be renewed. “If they approach the authorities, the lease will be renewed. Based on the violations, if any, the authority will decide on the penalty for further renewal of the lease,” an official said.

Plots have been given on lease of 33, 66, 99, 150 years and a few of them for even 999 years. Many plots have been subleased and encroached by slum dwellers, the official said adding that even if the property holder prefers to redevelop it, the property has to be on lease record.

During the last legislature session, senior minister Chandrakant Patil had pointed out that several leasehold properties in the city have been sold out by amalgamating plots.

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